


The Laments of the Lightwoods

by IrelandinIrish



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: F/M, Family, Family Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, One Shot, Protectiveness
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-31
Updated: 2018-04-01
Packaged: 2019-04-16 11:18:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14163678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IrelandinIrish/pseuds/IrelandinIrish
Summary: One-Shot's of the Lightwood siblings predominantly but will almost certainly include other characters.





	1. Chapter 1

**Alec - 14**

**Jace - 13**

**Izzy - 11**

 

_The siblings are out in the field for a training exercise when a rogue demon attack proves to be their hardest task yet._

 

"Do you ever wish you could be like them?" Izzy wondered, nodding to a group of mundane kids running around the park "Just for one day?"

Alec snorted "Yeah, right, because I'd love to run around totally blind to the dangers everywhere around me."

The pair walked over to where Jace was leant against a brick wall, seraph blade twirling between his fingers.

"How long do you think they'll keep us waiting?"

"It's supposed to be a _surprise_ attack" Alec reminded him, casting a glance over his shoulder "Wouldn't be much use in it if they came straight away."

Isabelle chewed at the skin around her fingernails "Are we really meant to fight them off in front of all the mundanes?"

"They won't see us, don't worry" Jace assured her with a lazy smile "They're not exactly the brightest bunch anyway."

Alec's shoulders shuddered in a silent laugh as his usual serious exterior momentarily wavered.

"Well if we're gonna wait out here for hours, I'm getting food" Izzy eyed up the van across the park with a grin "Anyone want anything?"

"Soda"

"Hotdog"

The boys looked at each other and pulled a face which sent Izzy on her way weaving through the mundanes who were oblivious to her presence.

Once she was safely out of earshot Jace nudged Alec "Dude, did you try the breakfast she made this morning? I couldn't even tell what it was!"

"Porridge...I think, then again I was 'full' so I never tried it."

"And that, dear brother, is why we end up wasting all our money on food trucks."

The pair sat blissfully unaware on the wall that edged round the perimeter of the park - comparing blades and bows and runes as they waited for their sister to return.

After several minutes Alec froze, raising a hand to silence Jace, who was mid-sentence.

"Are they here?" the blonde questioned eagerly, sliding to his feet and extracting his seraph blade from his belt.

As he was speaking Alec had turned, narrowing his eyes across the park to where Izzy had de-glamoured to order their food.

"Something's wrong" he murmured "We need to get Izzy and get back to the Institute."

Jace grabbed his brother by the shoulder to spin him round "What is it? Maybe you're just...paranoid?"

The offered explanation sounded weak when matched with the growing concern on Alec's face, so Jace simply nodded and began following him across the park to where Izzy was waiting patiently by the truck.

As they moved there was a flash of black which sent both boys crashing to the floor in a cloud of dust and dirt.

Jace rolled over to avoid being clawed in the face, while Alec kicked himself up to a standing position by throwing his bodyweight forwards. Grabbing his brother by the hand both boys turned away from each other, extending their weapons in defence.

"You see it?"

"No, you?"

"No. Stay tight, it won't have gone far."

Before Alec could barely finish his sentence there was a scream and they whipped round to see Izzy pinned against the side of the truck by her throat, the demon inches from her face. She was kicking out at it, urging her whip to uncurl faster from around her wrist.

"Izzy!" Jace yelled, vaulting the bench in front of him as he sprinted towards her. He could hear Alec close behind, the sound of his bow string in the air as an arrow flew past Jace's head, embedding itself in the demon's lower back.

The creature let out a roar, dropping Isabelle who scrambled back gasping for breath.

Momentarily distracted by his relief Jace found himself thrown to the floor, his face sprayed with the spittle flying from the demon's mouth. The boy winced against the damp, trying to block out the blood thundering in his ears as his hands scrabbled the concrete either side of him to try and locate his weapon.

His fingers closed around a rock just as Alec's boot appeared out of nowhere, sending the demon sideways from the force of a powerful roundhouse kick. Jace had just enough time to accept his brother's hand up before the creature rounded on them again, tentacles writhing from its face.

A crack echoed in the air and a silver flash gripped the demons neck, sending it soaring backwards towards Izzy, who promptly raised her foot and aimed a well-placed kick to its head before it could crash into her.

"I got it" Jace growled, taking his seraph blade from Alec's outstretched hand and plunging it deep into the demons back with a yell.

The creature lurched at the impact, raising an arm to try and knock Jace away, but Alec was quick with his instincts, sending an arrow straight through the demons palm.

With one last jolt, the demon burst into ash which quickly whirled away into the air, leaving three out of breath siblings in its wake.

"Everyone okay?" Alec questioned, taking Jace's hand and pulling him off his knees.

Both turned to Izzy who was pale and shaking, a hand sub-consciously fingering the bruising that was beginning to appear on her neck.

"Hey?" Alec called softly, moving to her side with Jace close behind "It's okay."

He wrapped an arm round his sister, pulling her into him and promptly outstretched the other arm to bring Jace closer too.

"I thought- I thought I was gonna-" Izzy couldn't even finish her sentence and simply bowed her head instead.

"We would never let that happen" Jace told her, reaching across to squeeze her hand.

"Yeah, we're your big brothers" Alec smiled "We'll keep you safe."

Isabelle gave a small laugh despite herself "We did okay right? I mean I know it wasn't the exercise but...we just totally kicked that demons ass!"

Jace snorted "Totally" he agreed, fistbumping Alec.

As the three slowly began to shake off the initial fear of the attack, they turned as the man in the food truck extended two hotdogs and a soda to Izzy, who remembered she had been de-glamoured the entire time.

Biting her lip to keep from laughing at the horror on his face, she watched as he ran a hand through his slightly dishevelled hair and promptly pulled down the window bars, blocking out the siblings.

"He must think I'm crazy" Isabelle muttered, handing Jace his hotdog and Alec his soda "Can't say I blame him."

Her brothers smirked, de-glamouring themselves in unison before tucking into their orders.

"Let's head back to the Institute" Jace said through a mouthful of hotdog "I feel like we've completed our training for at least the next week!"

"What if Hodge turns up with the decoys after we're gone?" Izzy said with a frown.

"Then he can deal with them" the blonde said with a shrug "He owes us one after leaving us to fight off a demon without supervision."

As he spoke he draped a lazy arm round his sisters shoulders, aiming a light punch to Alec's bicep as he did so.

"Jace is right" the boy agreed, crushing his soda can and dropping it in the trash. He took his sister by the hand and gave it a squeeze. "Let's go home."

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Alec - 22**

**Jace - 21**

**Izzy - 19**

**Max - 8**

_  
Following on from Sebastian's attack on Max none of the siblings can sleep and end up sitting together in the early hours of the morning._

 

Alec tossed and turned in bed, sweat beading his forehead as the image of his baby brother lying bloody and beaten on the floor invaded his dreams. He sat up with a sudden jolt, shoulders heaving with the intensity of his breaths as his eyes darted frantically around the darkness of his bedroom.

* * *

 

Jace was still fully dressed despite the late hour. He was sat on the edge of his bed, seraph blade in hand as he stared blankly at his bedroom door. He still couldn't comprehend that Max, his little brother was barely conscious down in the infirmary while Sebastian was out there somewhere doing who knows what.

* * *

 

Izzy paced her room, wringing her hands and mumbling to herself as she started at any and every noise she heard. It had been a mere two days since the attack, and the rest of the Institute - while still in shock at the attack of a minor, had gone back to its regular routine. But that wasn't an option for her.

* * *

 

The kitchens were empty much to Alec's relief as he padded in and proceeded to fill a glass with water. He leant back against the counter and took several long gulps, allowing the coolness to soothe the heat of anxiety coursing through his veins. Sometimes it was exhausting being the oldest, feeling the constant fear of losing a younger sibling because he couldn't protect them.

He turned to refill the glass just as the sound of footsteps reached his ears and he dropped the cup with a dull thud in the sink. Inwardly cursing that he'd been stupid enough to leave his weapons back in his room, the man grabbed a frying pan from the drainer and held it aloft - preparing to strike.

"Jesus Alec what the Angel are you doing?" Jace hissed, appearing in the doorway with a look of alarm.

Alec gave a sigh of relief, placing the pan back down and retrieving his now refilled glass "What are you doing in here?" he asked lowly, placing the drink in front of his brother and turning back to pour another.

"Couldn't sleep" Jace muttered "Not that I've tried, I can't stop thinking about-"

"-Max" Alec finished, sliding onto a stool at the counter as Jace did the same "I keep picturing him lying there..."

"We need to find Sebastian" the blonde insisted "Make him pay for what he's done."

"We will" Alec agreed smoothly "But I'm not leaving the Institute until I know our brother is okay."

Their eyes met across the table, a silent understanding between them as yet more footsteps sounded down the hall.

Both men were on their feet in an instant, with Jace extending his seraph blade just as Alec reached once more for the frying pan.

"Are you guys cooking?" Isabelle questioned, wrapping her dressing gown around her as she strode in and immediately opened the refrigerator.

Her brothers relaxed, abandoning their weapons and returning to their seats at the counter.

"Why aren't you asleep Iz?" Alec asked her gently, concern lacing his voice.

"I could ask you two the same question" she replied "But I already know it's for the same reasons."

She'd moved on to the freezer, and withdrew with a tub of ice-cream, which, much to her brothers' amusement she proceeded to eat straight from the tub with a dessert spoon.

"Stress eating" Jace observed, pulling back a stool for the girl to hop up beside him.

"Trying to distract myself from going up to the infirmary" she told them "Not that Max would know whether I'm there or not."

She looked down at the tabletop as she shoved another spoonful of ice-cream into her mouth. Alec stretched an arm across the counter and stroked his thumb over her wrist.

"He'd know" he assured her with a small smile "We can all go up in the morning, first thing?"

The other two nodded and Alec settled back on his stool.

"Do you think Clary is awake like us?" Jace wondered, tracing rune patterns on the tabletop.

"I doubt it" Alec sighed "She hasn't had the chance to know Max like we do."

Isabelle scraped her spoon over the ice-cream "When he wakes up they'll be able to get to know each other plenty" she said fiercely, as if the prospect of her brother not waking up wasn't an option.

The grandfather clock in the hallway chimed three times and Alec ran a hand over his face.

"We should all be in bed" he told them "We're no use to anyone exhausted"

And yet, nobody moved. Instead Izzy pushed the ice-cream tub across the table to her eldest brother.

"You need to eat" she prompted "I haven't seen you stop working ever since the attack..."

Alec slid the tub over to Jace with a firm "I'm fine" which strongly urged the girl to drop it.

Both siblings turned to watch the blonde devour the dessert, barely finishing a mouthful before fitting in another.

"Easy" Isabelle chided, snatching it back and plucking the spoon from his fingers.

Jace wiped his mouth with the back of his hand "Max was always in here sneaking snacks when he thought no-one was looking."

As he spoke, Alec's eyes narrowed "Don't speak about him like he's dead" he growled.

"I wasn't, I was just saying-"

"-Well don't."

Suddenly the atmosphere in the room had turned as icy as the dessert in Izzy's hands.

"Maybe we should just go back to our rooms" she sighed, clicking the lid back on the tub and making her way over to the freezer "Clearly you're both tired."

Without a glance back she left the kitchen and the awkward silence between her brothers behind her.

* * *

 

Alec stared at his reflection in the mirror above his desk, gaze lingering on the dark circles growing beneath his eyes. He pulled on a hoodie, suddenly feeling cold as he clambered onto his bed and sat staring out of the window at the star speckled sky above.

* * *

Jace was slowly getting undressed, replacing jeans and a leather jacket with shorts and a t-shirt. He returned his weapons to their rightful place and fell backwards onto his mattress with a sigh. He closed his eyes, but only to think - he knew that sleep wasn't coming to him that night.

* * *

Isabelle drew her knees up to her chin, a pillow clutched against her as she took several deep breaths to calm herself. Despite her need for sleep the girl had flooded her room with light, eyes transfixed on the door as if Sebastian were about to walk in at any moment.

* * *

It was just past four in the morning, and Alec was still awake, sat atop his covers filling out paperwork on the attack that he'd neglected to touch until now. He let himself read the description of Max' injuries but it was as though his mind had put up a defensive block that prevented him from comprehending any of the information. The man tapped the pen hard against the notebook until the sound seemed to grow louder. He stopped, pen hovering in his fingers but the sound persisted.

"Come in?" he called quietly, wondering if someone was knocking for him.

Sure enough the door opened and Isabelle crept in, carefully shutting it behind her.

"Can I sleep in here?" she questioned, attempting to sound as nonchalant as possible despite the feel of her heart thudding rapidly against her chest.

Alec abandoned his paperwork and patted the space beside him on the bed, waiting until his sister was positioned comfortably beside him before he wrapped a strong arm around her.

"What if he's still here Alec? In the Institute?"

Her brother shook his head "He isn't baby sister, the whole building has been searched from top to bottom, and the perimeter has been guarded ever since."

Izzy reached out to twirl the cords of her brother's jumper just as Jace burst in breathlessly.

Alec bristled somewhat until he noticed the look of distress on the blonde's face.

"I'm sorry" Jace wheezed "What I said about Max, I was just trying to think of happier times, because if I don't then all I see is him  _lying there_ and I can't - I can't handle it Alec!"

Izzy shuffled aside as her brother quickly rolled off the bed and gathered Jace up in his arms.

"It's okay" the eldest soothed, reaching a hand out to usher Isabelle over to join them.

When she did so both men pulled her into them, their foreheads resting on each other as they basked in a rare moment of silence in the Institute.

"It's all gonna be okay."

 

 

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Alec - 10**

**Jace - 9**

**Izzy - 7  
**

**  
** _When Robert and Maryse won't stop arguing, their children decide to do some snooping to find out why - an alternate take on the affair._

 

_"If you're so unhappy why don't you leave?"_

_"Because unlike you I don't just run from my problems!"_

_"Keep your voice down for Angel's sake, you'll wake the children!"_

But the children were already awake and all huddled in Jace's room trying to block out the yelling of their parents.

"Why won't they stop?" Isabelle asked quietly, fingers toying with the loose threading on the duvet "They always fight nowadays."

Alec sighed, stroking a hand through her hair before clambering to his feet "I'm gonna ask them to stop-"

"-No!" Jace hissed, grabbing his brother by the arm "You'll make it worse if you tell them we can hear."

As he spoke, the screaming reached fever pitch and was quickly followed by the sound of glass shattering.

Izzy bit down on her lip, staring wide-eyed at her siblings "That didn't sound good" she whispered.

"Maybe it's over?" Alec suggested with a tight smile, trying his best to comfort her worries.

The confirmation came by the sound of footsteps running down the hall, promptly followed by a door slamming as the muffled wails of their Mother filtered through the walls.

"Momma" Isabelle whimpered, crawling across the bed with every intention of going to comfort the woman.

Alec reached out and took her hand, holding her back "Not now Iz" he whispered softly, stroking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"This is stupid" Jace grumbled, resting his elbows on the ledge of the window as he gazed out into the night.

His brother took a step forward to placate him when the blonde let out a yelp and stabbed a finger against the glass.

"It's Dad!"

His siblings rushed to the window, pressing their foreheads against the panelling as they watched Robert storm across the gardens, fists clenched and arms swinging.

"He looks really mad" Izzy mumbled, twisting her body until she was sat on the window seat between the boys.

"I wonder what they were fighting about" Alec said through a stifled yawn as he joined his sister on the seat.

Jace jolted back from the window and stumbled backward in his eagerness "We can find out" he declared with a smirk.

Isabelle leant forward in intrigue at the same time Alec sat back with a groan.

"We can search Dad's office"

"Are you crazy?" Alec snapped, getting to his feet "We're not allowed in there unless he or Mom are with us, you know that!"

Jace began pacing in front of them gesturing wildly with his hands.

"Just think -Lec, if we can work out why they're fighting we can help stop them!"

Izzy shook her eldest brother by the arm "Pleeeaseee Alec, can't we just have a little look?"

The dark haired boy shook his head "Definitely not" he insisted, dropping back down onto the window seat pointedly "We're going to bed."

Jace looked down at his sister who at this point was stood at his side.

"Are  _you_ coming?" he asked her and she nodded excitedly.

"Stop it Jace you're leading her astray" Alec chided, getting up once more to place a firm hand on Izzy's shoulder. She shook him off, looking up at him with a pout.

"I want to go -Lec, you can wait here if you want."

She turned and scurried from the room as quiet as a mouse, with Jace close behind her. Alec rolled his eyes, tugging at the hem of his t-shirt. After several moments he realised they weren't coming back and so with muttered curses beneath his breath he followed after them.

* * *

 

Robert's study had always seemed so formidable to the siblings, and as they pushed open the big oak door they felt no different.

The walls were lined with bookshelves, housing hundreds of texts on Shadowhunter lore, rune drawing and the history of the New York Institute. The desk took up most of the space in front of the bay windows and was littered with paperwork and a picture of the three siblings dressed in their training gear.

Jace sat down in the big leather chair and spun round several times, rifling through the pieces of paper in front of him.

"At least try and make it look like we weren't in here!" Alec hissed, turning from where he'd clicked the door shut behind them.

There came a crunch and Izzy gave an involuntary yelp, looking down at her left foot which was bleeding steadily and speckled with shards of broken glass. Alec rushed to her, lifting her onto Jace's lap as he willed the girl to be quiet.

"Guess we found out what the smash was" the blonde pointed out, staring at the pieces of what used to be a vase laying on the floor.

"-Lec it hurts" Isabelle sniffled, silent tears rolling down her cheeks as her brother carefully picked the few shards from her sole.

"I know, it's okay I'm almost done" he promised her softly, glaring up at Jace "I told you this was a bad idea! Just look in the drawers for a stele will you?"

"I thought it was a  _bad idea_ " Jace mocked, wrenching open the top drawer to avoid the stern look of his brother.

By the bottom drawer he'd found a med-box and handed it sullenly over to Alec who was muttering excuses they could offer their parents as to what had happened to their daughter in the night.

Jace turned to shove the drawer shut when his eyes caught sight of a messy bundle of letters tied together with string. He glanced down at his siblings who were both busy working on an iratze rune. Securing his arm tighter round his sisters waist to prevent her from sliding off his lap, the blonde grabbed the letters and slipped them free from the string.

"You've got be kidding me" Alec grumbled, making a play for them "Put them back!"

"Who's Dimelza Valbon?" Jace questioned, studying the name in the corner of the top envelope.

Izzy craned her neck to see "Who?" she asked with a frown.

"Dimelza Valbon, it's who sent the letters."

Alec snatched the wad from his brother "She's probably from the Clave, can we get out of here now?"

As they began bickering Isabelle rolled her eyes and gingerly slid to her feet, smiling as she felt barely any pain in her foot. The girl wandered round the room taking in its mysterious feel in the night.

"I swear to the Silent Brothers Jace if you don't move out the way and let me put these back I'll shove your seraph blade right up your-"

"-Guys!"

Isabelle was crouched in front of the great fireplace, scrabbling in the ashes until she'd retrieved a screwed up piece of paper.

"Iz, c'mon stop making a mess" Alec groaned, abandoning his brother as he walked over to her.

The girl was unscrewing the paper, her eyes narrowing as she read the words.

"Dimelza Valbon" she whispered, looking up at Alec who had raised an eyebrow. He accepted the letter she handed him just as Jace appeared over his shoulder, reading with him.

 _"My dearest Robert I do so miss you when you're back in Idris. Come home to me soon my love-"_ Jace stopped reading, his eyes widening and he glanced down at Izzy who was listening closely.

"The next bit isn't for young ears" Alec told her hastily, his cheeks tinging pink.

The girl stuck out her lower lip "I want to know what it says!" she began to protest.

"It basically says that Dad's a cheating scumbag!" Jace declared, folding his arms despite the vicious nudge Alec landed to his ribs.

Isabelle went pale, she worshipped their Father perhaps slightly more than the boys and she didn't understand why he would do this.

"But-but there's a whole drawer of letters from her" the girl squeaked, shoving past her brothers to retrieve them. She waved one aloft "This one is from last year!"

Alec rushed to her, gently prising the paper from her fingers "Okay that's enough, we really need to go now" he told them, and for once even Jace didn't argue, too stunned by their discovery.

* * *

The three crept down the hall as quickly as they could without making any noise and burst through the door of Jace's room. As they did so the space flooded with light to reveal Maryse sat on the bed staring at them tiredly.

"I hoped you wouldn't find out yet" she told them sadly "And definitely not like this."

The siblings stood frozen in the doorway but at the sound of the quaver in their Mother's voice Isabelle rushed forward and wrapped her arms round the woman's neck.

"I'm sorry Momma."

Alec stepped forward with a small cough "I know we shouldn't have gone in there Mother, it's just...we didn't know..."

"It's okay my sweet boy" she told him with a sigh, holding out an arm to beckon he and Jace forward.

"How long?" the blonde demanded, his fists clenching in his lap.

Maryse laughed sadly and ran a hand through his hair "Long enough, that's all you need to know."

He scowled at how vague the answer was but knew not to push it any further.

"Who is she?" Isabelle asked quietly, looking up at her Mother with watery eyes.

"Dimelza used to work for the Clave but she was injured several years ago in an attack and they let her go" Maryse took a shuddered breath and continued "I was the one who invited her to still attend the Institute events, I guess I didn't want her to feel entirely useless - but the entire time she and your Father were...were-"

Alec wrapped an arm round his Mother's shoulders as she began to sob into her hands.

"Please don't cry Momma" Izzy begged, patting the woman's hand comfortingly "You still have us, we'll never leave you."

Despite her tears Maryse laughed "I know my baby, thankyou."

By her side Jace let out a stifled yawn and the woman smiled.

"It's way past your bedtime, come on now."

She got to her feet and looked down at her three sombre children.

"Can we sleep with you tonight?" Izzy asked, her head rested sleepily on Alec's shoulder.

Maryse opened her mouth about to decline because Robert would be there, but then she remembered he'd gone, stormed out into the night no doubt to meet with his fancy woman.

She extended a hand to her daughter.

"I would love that, my babies."

 


End file.
